The Smoking Band*

B-more!Charm City!The Greatest City In America! We're in Baltimore, Maryland, at Morgan State University today — better known as my home for five years — I'm an erstwhile WYPR producer, Towson and JHU alumna. There are a lot of connections today — our fabulous director Gwen Outen is a Morgan alumna herself. I spent the night last night, enjoying old friends, and getting a good night's sleep, but I can promise you, tonight — sleep is the last thing on my mind. It's the last night you can smoke at a bar in Baltimore. Now, I quit the nasty habit when I moved to D.C.; but I have very fond memories of nights spent over Maker's Mark at a series of wonderfulBaltimoredive bars. I was in school for creative writing; there's nothing like a smoke and a bourbon to make you feel literary — and of course, for making it impossible to actually be literate. A lot of novels were designed and never born in the Charles Village Pub. (Not just novels — campaigns. Yeesh.) In any case, I'm going to fling myself off the wagon for one night only here in Bawlmor. It's the last night for that particular kind of nostalgia; and I'm gonna get some smoke in my eyes.**

*The last night of "The Smoking Band." One night only.**It goes without saying — don't try this at home. It'll kill ya.